We recently got to review a new lithium deep cycle battery from Siekon, a company we haven’t worked with before. As with many other lithium batteries, there are some serious benefits to making the switch, but does Siekon’s take on lithium batteries pan out? Read on to find out!
Have you ever stayed in an RV or travel trailer? Have you ever used a quiet and efficient trolling motor on a fishing boat? You’ve used a deep cycle battery! solar energy plant
This kind of modular, standardized battery has been around for decades, with most batteries in the past using a cheaper lead-acid battery chemistry, like what you’d find in an ICE vehicle’s 12V battery. But, instead of being made to provide a quick burst of power to start a car’s engine, deep cycle batteries are designed for lower-power use over hours or days.
There are some serious downsides to old-school lead-acid batteries.
First off, they can be a little dangerous. They emit hydrogen gas and can explode if not properly ventilated, throwing acid everywhere. Leaks, dropping them, or an accident can break them open, letting dangerous acid flow out or start a fire. Even worse, some people deliberately misuse the acid in batteries for terrible disfiguring attacks.
Another problem is durability. In some cases, a lead-acid battery might last 5–7 years. I have a car battery that did that recently in a car that we don’t drive much. But, in most cases, you’ll get 2–3 years out of a car battery or deep cycle battery. In extreme conditions or in poor storage environments, some people buy a new lead-acid battery every year when the next RV or fishing season starts.
Capacity and weight are also issues. Lead-acid batteries are fairly cheap, but you still want to get as much life out of them as you can because you want to put off that $50–200 purchase for as long as possible. Lead-acid batteries start to degrade heavily when you run them below about 50%, so whatever the capacity of the battery is, you want to only use about half of that. Not using a heavy metal (lead) in the battery design saves a lot of weight, too.
Siekon’s 12.8-volt lithium deep cycle battery takes this to the next level by offering a LiFePO4 chemistry, also known as LFP. LFP batteries are more durable than other chemistries, can be left at 100% without extra degradation, and are extremely unlikely to catch fire. In fact, more and more electric cars use LFP batteries for these reasons, and because they’re cheaper.
This means that about all of the problems older lead-acid batteries suffer from are solved. Instead of lasting a season or two, a boat or RV with these batteries can last for years. With no need to keep the batteries above 50%, you automatically double your available energy storage without having to buy more batteries. Plus, there’s basically no danger of outgassing, fires, or acid leaks.
Because it’s 12.8 volts, this battery is able to plug right into any existing 12V battery system. You don’t need any special charge controllers, adapters, or DC–DC chargers. Simply remove the old lead-acid battery or batteries and wire these into the system. If you want to use multiple batteries together, just be sure to get them all to the same voltage before connecting them together and follow all advisories in the battery’s documentation.
The price is also pretty good. While more expensive than a lead-acid deep cycle battery ($229 as of this writing, $279 normally), the increased durability and the extra usable capacity means that you can get 2–4 times as much good out of these batteries than an old-school one. So, even at a greater cost, they’re clearly the better deal.
In our testing, it worked well. Using a power inverter, we powered all sorts of tools and devices, and had no problems whatsoever. So, if you’re looking for a decent battery at a good price, this one should fit the bill.
It’s not just us who thinks Siekon makes a decent battery, either. In other reviews, they’ve been found to work well, have the advertised capacity, and be built internally to withstand the kind of use we expect deep cycle batteries to endure. Rather than rehash all of that here, here’s a video from the DIY Solar Power with Will Prowse YouTube channel:
Featured image by Jennifer Sensiba.
Article by Jennifer Sensiba, sponsored by Siekon.
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